Our tours/workshops held in the U.S. and abroad, focus on landscape and wildlife photography
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Photoventure's Workshops & Tours combine outdoor adventure with photography and are open to photographers of all skill levels, using DSLR or mirrorless cameras.
If anyone is interested in entering the Pangolin photo challenge for 2024, it has just opened for entries. Click on the link below:
Welcome to the 2024 Pangolin Photo Challenge! (Please note: The announcement videos for the 2023 Pangolin Photo Challenge will be published starting 28th February 2024) This time around, we are presenting six challenges with a prize pool exceeding $30,000. Instead of rushing to meet
Zodiac Journeys: Travel Aligned with Your Star Sign
I trust this message finds you well and ready for an exciting adventure! Recently, I stumbled upon an intriguing article in a renowned travel magazine that delves into the fascinating world of astrological travel. It presented 12 distinct trip ideas, each aligned with a sign of the zodiac. As someon...
Creating a greener world, one Journey at a time!
Hello Fellow Travelers, I hope this message finds you well and excited about embarking on a journey of meaningful exploration. As the founder of this eco-conscious travel venture, I am delighted to introduce myself and share a little about my story, passion, and commitment to sustainable travel.
Today is endangered species day! One species that I've become very familiar with is the Least Tern. Although considered threatened here in Florida, Great Plains and Midwest terns are endangered.
Least Terns have lost extensive nesting habitat to beach development and increased human activity. They are colony nesters, meaning they nest in a group, which allows them to exchange information about food sources, as well as to detect and mob predators. An entire colony can be easily destroyed by predation by foxes, raccoons, dogs and house cats and even (as I've just discovered, Night Herons), by human trampling, or by catastrophic storms.
In the past couple of decades, due to habitat loss, least terns have taken to nesting on flat roofs, especially gravel ones.
Least terns do respond quickly to improved habitat, such as the removal of beach vegetation or the dumping of dredged sand. Populations seem to be slowly rising, although they are still listed as 'threatened' by the state. At many nesting areas, signs warn people against entering colonies, many of which are roped off during breeding season.
Check out my blog post
November 2022 when the email promoting a Tiger Safari FAM (familiarization) trip popped into my inbox. I could hardly believe it as I’d spent the last couple of months dreaming of India and embarking on a tiger safari, but just couldn’t figure out how I would manage it. I took the serendipitous ...
BIRDS NEED US - FUNDRAISER
Hello,
I am thrilled to be supporting Birds Need Us by helping to fundraise for their giving day on Friday, November 11, 2022.
Birds need us now more than ever as 3 billion have been lost in the last 50 years and two-thirds of North American species are at increasing risk of extinction from climate change.
Please consider donating to my fundraiser
The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow, throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. Audubon’s state programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners have an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. Since 1905, Audubon’s vision has been a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Audubon is a nonprofit conservation organization.
I hope you can consider supporting me in this endeavor by donating $25, $50 or even $100. Every little bit counts. Click on the link below.
https://birdsneedus.audubon.org/p2p/276126/sarah-jane-laubscher
Thank you!
We have two very exciting African Safari's planned for 2023 & 2024
I have at last finalized the long-awaited Costa Rica Birding & Wildlife Photography tour for 2023. Costa Rica is home to 27 national parks and five percent of the world’s biodiversity. This small country has 12 of the planet's 18 different biomes, providing a huge range of climates. From cloud for...
BOTSWANA SAFARI 2023!!
I have also been hard at work on my Botswana / Namibia itinerary for 2023. Availability is very limited and often books up years in advance, so it's been a bit of a challenge. This 6-night safari will be in August / September, with an optional Cape Town add-on - pre-Botswana.
Although the trip is geared towards photographers, it's suitable for anyone with a love for wildlife and nature. We will be visiting two major wildlife hubs, Savute and Chobe.
August and September are highly regarded as the best months for wildlife photography in Botswana and along the Chobe River which forms the boundary between Botswana and Namibia.
The Savuti area of Chobe National Park has an incredible reputation for delivering both wildlife as well as landscape photography opportunities and has been the key focus area for many of the worlds top wildlife documentaries . Combining this area with the river frontage of the Chobe National park, renowned for some of the most incredible photography opportunities, especially for elephant enthusiasts will offer one of the best safari experiences to the region.
This is an exclusive safari and is limited to only 6 guests, affording everyone a "window" seat.
You can see the full Botswana itinerary here:
https://wetu.com/.../cee48d67-20c4-4e2d-89bd-c78b79ec0135
Please contact me for details either by email: info@islandecoventures or message me through Facebook.
TODAY IS NATIONAL ORANGUTAN DAY!
Orangutans are the world’s largest tree-climbing mammal, spending over 90% of their lives high up in the forest canopy. They are known as the gardeners of the forest and play a vital role in seed dispersal and maintaining the health of the forest ecosystem. This is vitally important for people and a number of other species, including tigers, Asian elephants and Sumatran rhinos.
Orangutans have a very low reproductive rate, with females only reaching sexual maturity at around 10-15 years. They usually give birth to a single young (or occasionally twins), which stays with it’s mother for the first 7-11years of its life. This makes orang-utan populations highly vulnerable to excessive mortality, and means that populations take a long time to recover from population declines.
At one time the world’s wild orangutan populations included upward of hundreds of thousands of individuals, but current estimates indicate far fewer wild orangutans now remain with a current estimated population of just 104,700. Currently, the IUNC has classified both the Bornean and Sumatran Orangutan as Critically Endangered.
While the Bornean orangutan as a species is protected a majority of its range is not. According to the IUCN, about 20% of the orangutan range in Malaysia and 80% in Indonesia are not protected from illegal logging and hunting. Between 1999 and 2015 alone, experts estimate that over 100,000 Bornean orangutans were lost, with the most severe declines occurring in areas in which its habitat – particularly lowland forest in Borneo and Sumatra - was removed. IUCN experts predict that nearly 50,000 square miles of forest in Borneo could be lost by 2050 and upwards of 87,000 square miles by 2080 should the current annual rate of deforestation continue—resulting in the loss of over half of the current orangutan range on the island of Borneo over the next 50 years.
Orangutans are also threatened by illegal hunting and the effects of climate change, such as drought and fires. In 1983, wildfires in Kutai National Park, ravaged a significant portion of orangutan habitat. During another particularly devastating wildfire season over 1997 and 1998 in Kalimantan, an estimated 8,000 individual orangutans were killed. Wildfires have become an annual occurrence, claiming more and more habitat essential orang-utan habitat.
While many of these fires started accidentally, a vast majority of them begin when companies use fire to clear land on the cheap. In 2019, the Center for International Forestry Research found that the palm oil industry was responsible for 39% of forest loss in Borneo between 2000 and 2018.
Another threat is the illegal pet trade. Young orangutans fetch several hundreds of dollars and studies show that between 200 and 500 orangutans from Indonesian Borneo alone enter the pet trade every year
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Buy products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council to ensure that the wood have met the highest standard for environmental sustainability. The FSC label means that the trees were not harvested from rainforests where orangutans live but rather from third-party certified forests that are sustainability managed.
Palm oil is used in about half of all products found in grocery stores (it can even go by different names), so it can be pretty difficult to avoid. 12As a result, a number of certification bodies have arisen to trace more sustainable palm oil, such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and the Rainforest Alliance. Consider taking a minimalist approach and decrease your use of products made using palm oil, but if you can’t avoid it, then look for these sustainably certified labels when shopping.
Support these amazing organizations that help protect Bornean orangutans:
Orangutan Foundation International - founded in 1986 by Dr. Birute Mary Galdikas to support her work studying orangutans in the Tanjung Puting Reserve, Borneo. Her charity works to rescue and rehabilitate orangutans and release them back into the wild. The foundation also has programs that purchase land in Borneo for the specific purpose of orangutan conservation.
https://orangutan.org/
Borneo Orangutan Survival – Firstly, they save orangutans in immediate danger through rescue, rehabilitation, and re-introduction to protected rainforests. Secondly, and equally important, they protect and restore their wild habitat by working alongside the native communities bordering them.
https://borneoorangutansurvival.org/
Save the Orangutan Foundation - Set up in 2015 by Daniella Brandt, they raise awareness of the severe deforestation that is threatening the survival of orangutan populations in Borneo. Today, the charity raises funds to rescue vulnerable orangutans and creates public campaigns to raise awareness of their plight.
https://savetheorangutan.org/
The Orangutan Project - founded in 1998 by world-renowned orangutan expert Leif C***s as a result of his 30-year career working with orangutans. Today, the charity funds and supports organizations that work to address the critical issues facing fragmented orangutan populations.
https://www.theorangutanproject.org.uk/
The Sumatran Orangutan Society - founded in 2001 by Lucy Wisdom after she spent time at a Sumatran rehabilitation center for young orangutans, the charity is dedicated to saving the Sumatran orangutan and its forest habitat by tackling deforestation and working with local communities that depend on the rainforest.
https://www.orangutans-sos.org/
Orangutan Conservancy- founded in 1999 by a group of dedicated individuals who were passionate about saving Southeast Asia’s only great ape – the orangutan, the charity provides funding for various orangutan conservation projects and works to raise awareness of the plight of these critically endangered animals.
https://www.orangutan.com/
The Center For Great Apes - founded in 1993 by Patti Ragan after she took in and provided care for an infant orangutan that was intended to be sold to a circus performer. Today, the charity provides sanctuary to orphaned and handicapped chimpanzees and orangutans at its care center in Wauchula, Florida.
https://centerforgreatapes.org/
Hello everyone, just wanted to post some updates. I know it's been a while. Firstly, we have one spot left on our Iceland photo Adventure, departing August 24th. Unfortunately we had to cancel Yellowstone, due to the flooding, but we are planning to reschedule for next September and perhaps add a winter tour in 2024.
I am in the process of planning some photo adventures/workshops for 2023. I am very excited to announce that I'll be hosting a South Africa & Botswana trip in August 2023. I am still working out all the details, but it will be around 2 weeks, focusing on the Western Cape and Chobe. I also have a trip to India in the pipeline, including Delhi, Jaipur, Ranthambore National Park (wildlife photography - particularly tigers, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary (bird photography) Agra. Lastly, I'm rescheduling our Costa Rica Photography adventures to November 2023. If anyone would like more information, please let me know. I will follow up with details in the next couple of months.
If any of you photographers and birders are looking for somewhere to go this Summer, I'm hosting a 10-day photography/birding tour in Costa Rica in July. Feel free to message me if you're interested or would like more information.
The winter season is well underway, and for us in South Florida, that means a whole lot of bird photography. It’s a very exciting season to be a photographer in this part of the country - there’s a hive of activity as many species are busying themselves with courtship, nest building and raising their young.
I, for one, feel like there’s just not enough time in winter see everything there is to see (contrary to the rest of the country, who are probably wishing that summer would come early) and wish it could last a lot longer. Photoventures has had a very busy season so far with weekend tours/workshops to Everglades National Park and Florida’s West Coast, and next month we will head up the East Coast in search of nesting Osprey and Roseate Spoonbills.
ONLY 2 SPOTS LEFT in our incredible Iceland Photography Workshop, August 2022. Don't miss out - sign up now for an experience of a lifetime with professional photographer Páll Jökull Pétursson.
For full details or to sign up, visit: https://www.photoventurestours.com/iceland-landscapes-workshop
Isolated in the freezing North Atlantic, Iceland was forged by centuries of volcanic upheaval and shifting of tectonic plates. It is characterized by it’s dramatic and otherworldly landscapes, and stunning natural beauty. From towering mountains, volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, and alien lo...
I had a great morning last Saturday, hanging with my photography group at Wakodahatchee Wetlands. Nesting season for the Great Blue Herons is in full swing. I love this time of the year in Florida!
If you're ever in South Florida give me a shout. I'd love to share our amazing wildlife and wild places with you!
COSTA RICA BIRD & WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY ADVENTURE
Join me and our specialized birding / photography guide on a privately guided, fully-inclusive bird & wildlife photography adventure in Costa Rica., home to 27 national parks and five percent of the world’s biodiversity. This small country has 12 of the planet's 18 different biomes, providing a huge range of climates. From cloud forests and wetlands, to dry forests, and rainforests, not to mention coral reefs., the incredible array of habitats and micro-systems creates nearly endless wildlife watching opportunities.
This small country, roughly the size of West Virginia is a bird watchers paradise and is home to a striking variety of tropical birds. Over 850 species have been identified, which is more than the United States and Canada combined. Birds that we are likely to encounter include toucans, scarlet macaws, motmots, trogons, hummingbirds, tanagers, herons, hawks, owls and Costa Rica's crowning jewel, the elusive Resplendent Quetzal. Up to 150 different species have been reported seen in a single day.
Besides birds, there are 600 species of butterflies, 1,200 species of orchids, and 237 species of mammals, including three-toed sloths, five types of jungle cats, coatis, giant anteaters, peccaries, tapir, and four species of monkeys.
For details please visit: https://www.photoventurestours.com/costa-rica-wildlife-adventure
Join us in YELLOWSTONE & THE GRAND TETONS in the Fall. ONLY 4 SPOTS LEFT
Yellowstone National Park, the World’s first, encompasses 2 million acres of incredible natural beauty and rugged wilderness. It has the world’s greatest concentration of geysers and thermal features, including the Grand Prismatic Spring, the world’s largest hot spring. It is home to an incredible variety of wildlife including grey wolves, grizzly- and black bears, bison, deer, elk, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep, to name a few. During this photography tour we will visit it most iconic landscapes, as well as a number of lesser-known locations, all the while searching for wildlife. Each day we’ll rise early to catch the sun rise over one of the parks most scenic locations, or head out in search of wildlife, best photographed in the early morning or late afternoon. We’ll also enjoy sunset shoots. Join us to capture this unspoiled canvas of the American West, still one of the most imposing parks, after so many years.
For full details please visit: https://www.photoventurestours.com/yellowstone-grand-teton-fall
Accommodation is based on double occupancy. If you are traveling alone, but would prefer to share a room, we will do our best to match you with someone of the same gender. You can request a single room (depending on availability - Yellowstone accommodation fills up quickly, so let us know well...
INCREDIBLE ICELAND - SOUTH COAST LANDSCAPE WORKSHOP - ONLY 2 SPOTS LEFT
Isolated in the freezing North Atlantic, Iceland was forged by centuries of volcanic upheaval and shifting of tectonic plates. It is characterized by it’s dramatic and otherworldly landscapes, and stunning natural beauty. From towering mountains, volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, and alien looking lava fields, to massive glaciers, sprawling icefields, majestic fjords and powerful waterfalls.
Join me in Iceland, together with professional photographer/guide Páll Jökull Pétursson, for an amazing 7 night / 8 day adventure.
We'll explore Iceland's Southern Coast, photographing sea cliffs, black sand beaches, glaciers and magnificent canyons cutting into the highlands below the Mýrdalsjökull glacier. If we are lucky we will get to see Puffins and Arctic Terns. We'll enjoy wonderful locations for sunsets and sunrises including the Reynisdrangar sea-stacks and Dyrhólaey peninsula. And try local food.
For full details please visit: https://www.photoventurestours.com/iceland-landscapes-workshop
COMMON LOON WORKSHOP - JULY 8th
SIGN UP BEFORE MAY 25th and get a $100 and a copy of Nick Leadley's book "Gavia - Tales from Loon Country"
Join us in Maine’s Rangeley Region to discover it’s most visible as well as -audible avian resident – the Common Loon.
Along with wildlife and nature photographer, Nick Leadley, we’ll head into the heart of Common Loon territory. With a large number of lakes and ponds supporting a substantial loon population, the western mountains of Maine offer a great opportunity to see and photograph loons in their natural surroundings.
Early- to mid July is the best time to photography adult Common Loons with chicks. We’ll explore the lakes and ponds early in the morning and/or late in the afternoon, to catch them when they’re most active. And then spend the remainder of our days discovering the beautiful scenery of this region, including waterfalls and covered bridges.
Our day’s will be full, so bring a lot of energy and loads of memory cards!
For full details please visit: https://www.photoventurestours.com/maine-loon-workshop
Sorry it's been so long. I hope you are all doing well and staying safe. It's been a busy winter season in Florida with all the migratory birds in town. I've been all around the state in search of Owls, Osprey and other nesting birds and have been blessed to see so many miracles of nature - Wood storks, Barred and Great Horned Owls in Boynton Beach, Otters in Wellington, Great Horned owls again in Clearwater, with 3 chicks, Roseate Spoonbills in St. Augustine, and an adorable young Armadillo at Merritt Island National Wildlife refuge - to name a few. I'm sad to say that winter is coming to an end, but I have a number of exciting trips planned for the remainder of the year, starting with a short weekend jaunt to North Carolina at the end of the week. I'm hoping for some wildflowers, waterfalls and perhaps, if I'm extremely lucky, a black bear with cubs.
I have two great photo tours/workshops planned (with more to follow). In July I have a Loon workshop in Maine, together with wildlife photographer, Nick Leadley. We will spend 4 activity packed days photographing Common Loons and their chicks, and exploring the surrounding area.
For more information visit:
https://www.photoventurestours.com/maine-loon-workshop
I also have a fantastic Yellowstone & Grand Teton adventure planned for the Fall. We'll spend 6 days exploring Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park, in search of stunning scenery and abundant wildlife.
For more information visit:
https://www.photoventurestours.com/yellowstone-grand...
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Join us in Maine’s Rangeley Region to discover it’s most visible as well as -audible avian resident – the Common Loon.
Along with wildlife and nature photographer, Nick Leadley, we’ll head into the heart of Common Loon territory. With a large number of lakes and ponds supporting a substantial loon population, the western mountains of Maine offer a great opportunity to see and photograph loons in their natural surroundings.
Early- to mid July is the best time to photography adult Common Loons with chicks. We’ll explore the lakes and ponds early in the morning and/or late in the afternoon, to catch them when they’re most active. And then spend the remainder of our days discovering the beautiful scenery of this region, including waterfalls and covered bridges.
Our day’s will be full, so bring a lot of energy and loads of memory cards!
For full details please visit: https://www.photoventurestours.com/maine-loon-workshop
Join us in Maine’s Rangeley Region to discover it’s most visible as well as -audible avian resident – the Common Loon.
Join me in Fort Lauderdale, FL for a birding/wildlife photography workshop.
Escape the usual tourist traps and explore Florida's wild side - a side that few get to experience. You won’t see rugged mountain ranges, deep canyons, or raging rivers and waterfalls, but a subtle beauty that is unique to this corner of the world. Visit during our mild winter season and explore the State’s vast wetlands, teeming with migratory and resident wading birds and an abundance of alligators. Nothing beats the solitude of a sunrise boat or kayak trip through the Ten Thousand Islands – the only sound you’ll hear will be the wind, the waves and the occasional cry of an Osprey. Be entertained by comical pelicans fishing in “pouches” off the beach. Wander through groves of live oak or along boardwalks through ancient cypress swamps, with hanging moss and alive with the chatter or warblers and woodpeckers. End your day end with an unforgettable sunset across the Everglades’ golden rivers of grass or looking out over a tranquil ocean. In summer, chase thunderstorms to capture a lightning show that is almost unrivalled anywhere else in the world. Whether your passion is wildlife or landscapes, you won’t be disappointed.....
For more information visit: https://www.photoventurestours.com/south-florida-workshop
Sat, Dec 5, 2020, 7:00 AM: This is a photo workshop on Florida's West Coast with wildlife photographer Gary Roche. I am having trouble setting a definite date with him (Florida photographers seem extr
Wed, Nov 18, 2020, 12:00 PM: Join PhotoVentures for a Fall photography workshop in Louisiana, along with professional photographer/guide Charlie Bush. This workshop focuses on photographing ancient ru
Sat, Dec 5, 2020, 7:00 AM: This is a weekend workshop on Florida's West Coast with wildlife photographer Gary Roche.The workshop would focus on nesting Bald Eagles and other raptors, as well as migrat
WHAT'S ON YOUR LIST
Like me, you're probably all going a little stir-crazy by now! But I'm sure it's given you a lot of time to dream about the places you'll go when, God willing, everything returns to normal again. I'd love to hear which destinations are at the top of your bucket list and why? Since it's unlikely we'll be able to travel abroad in the very near future, I've been focusing on places closer to home (like my backyard) and exploring my own state of Florida. Although it lacks the dramatic landscapes of other states, it's an absolute haven for birdwatchers and bird photographers.
Join PhotoVentures for a Fall photography workshop in Louisiana, along with professional photographer/guide Charles Bush. This workshop focuses on photographing ancient rust-covered cypress trees in the swamp waters of Southern Louisiana. This time of year also frequently brings foggy conditions lending itself to ethereal landscapes within the swampland.
The tour includes three days of shooting with several boat tours, traveling off of the beaten path in the swamplands.
Visit our website for more details: https://www.photoventurestours.com/louisiana-fall-workshop
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